Bed-bottom



UNITED*:sTATsPATENT l im affL ROLLER SPRING COMPANY, yor .'oHVIoAGo, -ILLINois SPECIEICTION forming part of yLetters Patent N o. 381.024, dated April 1, 188`8.

Appiication fuga April 1,1887. seriaifnmasgss. "me modem f To aZwhon/t it. may concern! p l Be it known that I, WALTER B. NoYEs, of the city of Buffalo, in'thecounty of Erie and State of New VYo'rlqhave invented new and useful Improvements in Bed-Bottoms, of which l tween. the side rails in' front of the head-board The roller Eis preferably .constructed `of j metal tubing, andis provided 'atome end lwithl the following isja specification.

This inventionrelates tol an improvement in,

that class of bedbottoms which are composed of a series of flexible straps arranged lengthwise of the bed and Vsecured to a transverse roller which is provided with a ratchet mechanism for taking up any slack of the straps.

The object of myinvention is to improve 'the construction of this class of bedlbottonisy by providing the bed-bottom with a spring-roller,

whereby the straps are held taut at all times and the strainmore'uniformly divided through- .out the straps or slats of the bed-bottom.'

My invention consists of the improvements whichwillbehereinafter described,andpointed n v outin the claims.

` In the accompanying drawings, consisting' of two sheets, Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional elevation of my improved bed-bottom.

- z z, and w w, Fig. 3, respectively. Fig. 9 is a oross=section taken in line x ov, Fig. 2, showing the manneriof securing the ystraps atthe foot of the bed. Fig.'l0 is 'a'sectional top plan view thereof. f Fig. l1 is a front elevation of yone of the springs ywhich support the straps at the foot of theibed. Fig. 12 is a sectional eleton showing the end of one of thestraps or slats secured to the foot of the bed without a spring. i

' `Like letters of reference refer to like parts in the several figures.

A represents the head-board of a bedstead;

A', the foot-board, and A2 A3, the sfide rails' or Y boards connecting thehead .and foot boards and provided with sills a, upon which the transverse woodenslats a are .supported in the usual manner: -ee

vB representsv ythe metal straps'which form my improvedv bed-bottom andv which extend longitudinally from the head to the foot of the bed. The straps B are fastened at one end to a cross-bar, G,which'is secured to the side rails,

opposite ends of the straps Bare' fastened to a cylindrical drum or roller, E, arranged bean extension-piece, E', which is of smaller diengages in one of al series of scre'w-holiafe, formed in the extension-piece E. 1 The exten.- sion-piece E permits the roller to be lengthened or shortenedaccordingto'the width of the fit between the side rails offfbedsof/.different widths. The outer end of the extensionfpiece bracket, F,secured\to the rail A2. Y The porend of the bedbotton1 isfastened to thesleeve secured thereto by screws or other suitable means. f f

bracket, J, secured to the sideraih 13 7 v.

7c represents a `collar 'o rsleeve surrounding which incloses the h ub'h rof the vcap H;

l represents a' pawl pivote'd to the inside of A?, near the foot-boa"rd bybracketslD;v The Y ,y 55J bed,`and enables th'e'roller to be adjusted to E. is closed, and is provided with a jou rn`al, ,v e, which rests in a bearing, f, formed in a tion of the extension-piece `extendingoutside of the roller is providedwith asleeve, g,w.hichf is of the same diameter as the roller, and isse-y cured to the roller bya screw, g', which engages in `one of a serie'sof holes, g2, formed in f theeXtension-piece'E. ThestrapB at that l Vg by the screw g,which`secu'res `the sleeve to rim, h, projeoting' inside ofthe roller, and'fis4 V The cap H is lprovided with va centralholi low hubyh, formed on theoutside o f the cap, f. and through whichipasses loosely-1a" shaft`,r I, which forms the journalupon whichfthis end" ofthe roller turns. The outer end ofthe shaft'r v "I. is journaled in a. bearing, 7,forr ned'in a Y f the outer end of the shaft I, and securedftheref l to by a key, la', orothersuitable means-,solas v to turn with the shaft.1 Thcsleeve or collar Ic, is provided' at its inner end with va, cap,`K,

WALTER R. NoYRs, or' BUFFALO, New YoRK,`AssrenoR To frHEoHtcAeo ameterthanthe roller, 'so ras to tsnugly in the bore of the roller. rlhe extension-piece E is secured to the roller E'by'a screw, which i Y .wel `thecap K and adapted to engage ina` notch; or recess, Z, formed inthe hub h', shownin V Figs. 3 and 7. The pawl Z is provided with a curved or beveled face, Z2, and an abrupt face,

Z3, which permits the pawl to slide over the hub h without engaging in the notch Z when the shaft is turned in one direction and to drop into the notch and lock the roller to the shaft when turned in the opposite direction.

M represents a series of spiral springs -arranged inside of the roller E and surrounding the shaft I. The springs M are each secured at one end to the shaft I, and are provided at their opposite ends with a loop, m, which engages over a rod, n, arranged in line with the shaft. The rod n is arranged between the shaft and the inner surface of theroller, and forms part of a frame, N, which is secured to the inner surface of the roller E, so as to turn therewith.` The frame N is provided at its opposite ends'and near its center with concentric plates or disks n', to which the rod n is secured. The plates n also form bearings for the shaft I, which turns in central openings formed in the plates.

p represents a ratchet-wheel formed on or secured to the outer end of the sleeve k,- and P represents a pawl-lever surrounding the ratchet-wheel and provided with a pawl, p', which engages with the teeth of the ratchetwheel p.

q represents a ratchetwheel formed on or secured to the sleeve k, and q represents a pawl pivoted to the bracket J and engaging with the ratchet-wheel q. i

The springs M are wound or coiled around the shaft by turning the shaft by means of the pawllever P and ratchet-wheel p, and the pawl q', engaging with the ratchet-wheel q, locks the shaft from turning in the opposite direction to uncoil the springs. Uponlocking the shaft I by the ratchet-wheel and pawl q q the tension or `strain on the springs is transmitted to the roller E and the straps B. The springs M are wound sufficiently tight nntil the proper tension is given to the roller to hold the straps taut and sustain the required weight on the bed-bottom. The cap K, carrying the pawl Z, turns with the shaft I as the latter is rotated, and the inclined or beveled face of the pawl permits the pawl to slide over the notch Z of the hub h without engaging therein. Upon removing the roller E 'from the brackets the ratchet-wheel q is released from the pawl g', and the springs are prevented from uncoiling by the pawl Z engaging in the notch Z' of the hub h'. The ratchet-wheel p and lever P permit the tightening or coiling of the springs to increase their tension on the roller without removing the roller from the brackets, and the pawl Z, engaging in the notch Z', prevents the springs from uncoiling when the roller has been removed from the brackets. The straps or slats B are allof uniform length, and are preferably fastened to the roller by screws u, which pass through openings formed in the ends of the straps and engage in screw'holes formed in the roller on a line drawn parallel with the sides of the roller.

The ends of the springs attached to the rod n are free to slide on the rod, as the springs are coiled around the shaft, which prevents the springs from being twisted out of shape. Any number of springs may be employed as may be desired to increase the tension of the roller, and as the tension'is uniform throughout the length of the roller the strain is divided equally on all the straps.

The straps B are secured to the lower crossbar, C, by screw-bolts R, which are inserted through openings in the cross-bar, and are provided with screw-nuts r, which bear against the rear side of the cross-bar. The inner ends of the bolts R are each provided with ahook, r', which engages with a coil-spring, S, fastened to the end of each strap B. The springs S assist in holding the straps B taut, and the screw-bolts Bpermit any slack or unevenness in the length of one or more of the straps to be taken up independently of the other straps.

If desired, the springs S may be dispensed with and the bolts R be provided with a loop to which the straps are secured, as shown in Fig. 12.

T represents one or more straps fastened to the under side of thel roller VE and connected to the lower cross-bar, C, by a spiralspring, t. The straps are arranged below the straps B and draw upon the roller E in an opposite direction to the straps B, so as to increase the tension on the roller when an additional weight is applied to the straps B,

If desired, the lower cross-bar, C, mayform part of an independent frame supported on the wooden slats a of the bed and fitting between the head and foot boards and sidestrips of the bed, the brackets in this case being secured to the side strips of the independent frame, instead of being secured to the side straps of the bedstead.

I claim as my inventionl. In a bed-bottom, the combination, with the side rails, bottom cross-bar, C, springroller E, and flexible straps B, connecting the vroller E with the bottom cross-bar, of an extension-piece, E', adjustably secured to the roller,whereby the roller cau be lengthened or shortened, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination, with'the roller E,shaft I, and springs M, surrounding said'shaft and connecting the roller with the shaft, of a cap, H, secured tothe roller and provided with av hub, h', forming ajournal for the shaft, a collar, k, secured to the outer end of the shaft, and a cap, K, formed with the collar k and provided with a pawl, Z,adapted to engage in a notch, Z',

formed in the hub hof the roller, substantially` as set forth.

3. In a bod-bottom, the combination, with the hollow roller E, and a frame, N, secured to the inner surface of the roller, and provided with a rod, n, of a central shaft, I, mounted in bearings in the frame N, and springs M, surrounding the shaftI, and secured at one end tothe shaft and provided at their opposite end with a loop, m, which engages over IOO IZO

the rod n of the frame N, substantially asset 10W tho straps B, so as to turli the liollrE 1o forth. an opposite direction to the straps B, ztndfcon-4 4. In a bed-bottom, the combination, with ne'oted at their opposite` ends tothe orosshar the side rails, bottom cross-bar, C, and a roller, C by springs t, substantiallyas set forth.` l f 5 E, journaled in brackets secured to the side `Witness my hand this 19th of March, 1887. y

rails, of a series of flexible straps, B, secured at one end to the roller E emolV at their oppof Witne/sses: j site end to the bottom oross-bar, and flexible ff JNO. J. BONNER, )j straps T,secured,at one end tothe roller E,bo" FRED. C. GEYER.

f WALTER B. VNOYES.` 

